Jonathan Moyo humiliated at Zanu-PF meeting in Masvingo

Zanu PF Politburo member Jonathan Moyo braved a difficult meeting in Masvingo on Saturday when delegates heckled at each other, disobeyed his orders and ultimately the majority walked out on him as he addressed an inter-district meeting.

Moyo who is the secretary for Science and Technology in the ruling party Politiburo chaired the disorganised meeting with the assistance of committee member George Rutanhire of the Herbert Chitepo Ideological School which was attended by all the seven administrative districts of Masvingo.

Although the meeting was conducted for the Chitepo School, it seemed the real objective on the ground was to gauge the mood in the ruling party following Wednesday's successful nationwide stayaway which virtually brought the country to a standstill.

When it was time to introduce the guests (Prof Moyo and Rutanhire) acting provincial chairman Amanasa Nhenjani proposed that Daniel Shumba who is the deputy secretary for transport in the Politiburo do the introductions, but the delegates would have none of that.

They said that Lovemore Matuke who is believed to be a guru in the Mnangagwa camp do the introductions as they insisted that Matuke was more senior than Daniel Shumba.

Shumba who is said to belong to G40 widely believed to be loyal to the First Lady Grace Mugabe had to endure the humility and handover the microphone to Matuke.

Moyo explained that the Government was mobilising resources for 2016 inputs and also acknowledged that the state of the economy needed urgent attention if the party was to avoid embarrassment at the 2018 polls.

"The economy is going to be our biggest enemy and if we fail to address this we will not make it in 2018," said Prof Moyo.

He also told the meeting that corruption is rampant in the country and the Police, Zimra and Lands Ministry are the biggest culprits as a result the Anti-Corruption Commission has been placed under the direct supervision of the President.

What Moyo delivered at the meeting appeared to have been at variance with the expectations of the delegates as the delegates who numbered about 800 walked out one by one until there was just a handful left listening to the address at the end of the meeting.

What appeared to have agitated delegates is the guided questions approach which Moyo applied. Moyo wanted delegates to ask questions on his address but delegates had more issues outside the address.

One delegate asked why suspensions of members at grass root level was done on the recommendation of party leaders instead of the people on the ground who have better information on those people.

Moyo said the question was not proper but delegates were angry at the prescribed questions that Moyo wanted them to ask him.

The delegates almost unanimously spoke against bond coins. A member from Mwenezi said corruprion will not go away in Zimbabwe because Police never act when reports are made.

"We are left with no option except not to report corruption because the Police, the chefs and the top leadership seem to be working hand in glove to promote corruption.

"When a big fish is arrested the matter ends where it started as we do not see the results of the arrests and that discourages people from reporting corruption," said the irate member.

Despite repeated efforts by Prof Moyo to calm members and discourage them from leaving the hall, they did not heed his calls as they either hackled those asking questions or walked out in defiance.

One delegate could be heard shouting that they would not listen to rubbish, "we want action on corruption and jobs, we are tired of cheap talk, 'hatidyi izvozvo', we have time for social media because we are idle."

Efforts to get a comment from Prof Moyo were fruitless as he refused to answer questions to do with the party preferring to answer questions on his ministry.